Automatic brake-adjuster.



No. 7|3,757. Patehted Nov. I8, I902.

c. J. FISHER.

AUTOMATIC BRAKE ADJUSTER. rA fn t nfiIdJ 19 1902 2 Sheets-$heet (NoModel.)

3111mm for CJZZls/zer Witnesses Patehted Nov. l8, I902.

0. J. FISHER. AUTOMATIC BRAKE ADJUSTER.

(Application filed June 19, 1902.)

2 Sheets-$heat 2.

(No Model.)

n1: warns PETERS 120., PHOYO-LYTHO, msuworov. u c

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CHARLES J. FISHER, OF MURPHYSBORO, ILLINOIS.

AUTOMATEC BRAKE-ADJUSTER.

SPEGIFIGATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 713,757, dated November18, 1902.

Application filed June 19, 1902. Serial No. 112,320. iNo model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CHARLES J. FISHER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Murphysboro, in the county of Jackson and State of Illinois,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in AutomaticBrake-Adjusters; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, andexact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilledin the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The invention relates to improvements in brake-adjusters, and isdesigned to automatically compensate for the wear upon brakeshoes ofair-braking mechanisms by taking up the slack produced by such wear uponthe push-bar of said mechanism.

Another object is to provide a device of this character whereby apositive and yielding force may be applied when the brakes are operatedand that slack in all the working parts will be taken up.

A further object is to construct such a device which shall be simple ofconstruction, durable in use, and comparativelyinexpensive ofproduction.

With these and other objects in view the invention consists of certainnovel features of construction, combination, and arrangement of partswhich will be hereinafter more fully described, and particularly pointedout in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a bottom plan view of aportion of an airbrake equipment of a passenger-car, showing theapplication of the invention. Fig. 2 is a side view of the device. Fig.3 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view of the same. Fig. 4 is avertical cross-section on the line 4 4 of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a detailview of the guidebracket. Fig. 6 is a detail side view of the inner endof the push-rod casing, and Fig. 7 is a side view of another form ofpush-rod.

In the drawings, 1 denotes the auxiliary reservoir, 2 thebrake-cylinder, and 3 the cylinder-lever. These parts may be of anyapproved construction.

at denotes the piston, having riveted thereto a hollow piston-rod 5. 6denotes the releasespring coiled around the hollow piston-rod betweenthe piston and the cylinder-head.

7 denotes a sleeve or casing in which is adapted to slide a push-bar 8,to which is pivoted the cylinder-lever 3. These parts are adapted to beforced outward upon application of air to the cylinder. The push-bar 8is formed with an extension 9, which is adapted to slide in and beguided by a bracket or hanger 10, fixed to the under side of the car.The portion of the push-bar which enters the sleeve 7 is provided on itslower side with a row of beveled ratchet-teeth 12, and the open end ofsaid sleeve is provided with a head 7", in which is pivoted aspring-actuated takeup pawl 11, which is adapted to engage theratchet-teeth 12. The sleeve 7 is also provided near its inner end witha collar 13, the purpose of which will hereinafter appear. The extension9 of the push-bar has formed on its upper side a series of ratchet-teeth9, which are adapted to be engaged by a weighted retaining catch or pawl14, pivoted to the bracket or hanger 10, the said pawl being looselypivoted to the bracket 10 by means of a pin-and-slot connection, asshown.

15 denotes a head fixed to the outer end of the hollow piston-rod andprovided with an upwardly-projecting arm 16, provided with a passage oropening 17, through which is adapted to pass a releasing-rod 18,pivotally connected at one end to the weighted retaining catch or pawl14, and is provided near its other end with an adjustable collar 19.

The push-bar 8 is provided midway its length with an enlargement inwhich is formed a slot 20, and in said slot is adapted to be pivoted oneend of the cylinder-lever 3.

The hollow pistonrod 5 is provided with an inwardly-projecting pistontravel pin or lug 5, which is adapted to engage the collar 13 when thepiston is forced inwardly by the release-springand to carry said sleevealong with the piston, the pivoted pawl 11 sliding loosely over theteeth 12 of the push-bar until the piston is all the way in, at whichtime the arm 16 on the head 15 will strike the collar 19 011 therelease-rod 1S and'will cause said rod to release the retaining-catch 14from engagement with the teeth on the extension of the push-bar andallow said bar to move back with its casing to the position formerlyoccupied by said casing within the hollow piston-rod.

The loose pin-and-slot connection by which the retaining-pawl 14: isconnected to the hanger 10 is for the purpose of permitting the arm 16to readily release the said pawl by allowing the brake to recede asufficient distance to relieve the brake-shoes of intense pressure,which, from the brake -shoes, is thrown on the push-bar.

The retaining catch or pawl is intended for use on brakes equipped withquick-release springs on brakebeams, which cause the push-bar to returnso fast that the take-up pawl 11 cannot gain time enough to take upslack; but by the use of the retaining-pawl the push-bar is held untilthe piston returns and takes up slack.

The collar 13 on the inner end of the sleeve or casing 7 is providedwith a slot 13, shaped substantially as shown in Fig. 6 of the drawings,so that when it is desired to entirely withdraw or to insert the sleeveor push-rod casing 7 into the hollow piston-rod 5 and past the pin 5 thesaid sleeve is turned to bring one of the open ends of the slot l3 intoline with the pin, when the sleeve may be manipulated to move the samepast the pin 5 and out of or into the hollow piston-rod, as the case maybe.

In Fig. 7 of the drawings I have illustrated a different form ofpush-rod which is to be used in place of the push-rod shown in the otherfigures and is for use on freight-car and engine-tender brakeequipments.

It will be understood that my device is equally applicable to hand-brakemechanism, as in all cars and tenders having hand-brake rod connected tocylinder-lever next to the push-bar it is impossible to applyhand-brakes without taking up all slack just as perfectly as by airapplication.

In operation when air is admitted to the brake-cylinder the piston willforce the pushrod casing and the push-rod outwardly until thebrake-shoes are firmly applied. When the air in the cylinder isdischarged, the piston will be forced back by the release-spring, whilethe push-rod and its casing will be held stationary either by theretaining-pawl as used in connection with quick-release springs or bythe friction of the rod and levers when using ordinary braking.equipment until the piston recedes far enough for the pin on thepiston-rod to engage the collar on the push-rod casing, when the saidcasing will be carried back by the said pin, the take-up pawl playingloosely over the teeth of said push-bar until the piston is clear back,at which position all the slack will have been taken up.

In all brakes not provided with quick-release springs of some kind itwill take a pull of from fifty to one hundred pounds on the push-bar tomove them. Therefore as it only requires ten pounds pull to move thepushrod casing back it will readily be seen that the pawl will slip backover the teeth of the push-bar without moving the same. When thecylinder is in full release, the push-bar will settle back to its normalposition by the motion of the car.

The distance bet ween the collar on the pushrod casing and the pin onthe hollow cylinderrod equals the constant and predetermined pistontravel.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings, the construction, mode of operation, andadvantages of the invention will be readily understood without requiringan extended explanation.

Various changes in the form, proportion, and details of construction maybe made within the scope of the invention without departing from thespirit or sacrificing any of the advantages thereof.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is

1. In a braking mechanism, the combination with a braking-cylinder, of apiston carrying a hollow piston-rod, a sleeve or pushrod casing adaptedto slide within said hollow piston, a pin fixed to said hollow pistonrodand adapted to engage a collar on said push-rod casing to actuate thesame, a pushrod pivotally connected to the cylinder-lever of anair-braking mechanism and provided with one or more series ofratchet-teeth and being adapted to slide within said push-rod casing,one or more take-up pawls carried by said push-rod casing and adapted toengage the teeth on said push-rod to actuate the same, means forretaining and holding said pushrod in an extended position, and meansfor automatically releasing the same, substantially as set forth.

2. In a braking mechanism, the combination with a braking-cylinder, of apiston carrying a hollow piston-rod, a sleeve or pushrod casing adaptedto slide within said hollow piston, a pin fixed to said hollow pistonrodand adapted to engage a collar on said push-rod casing to actuate thesame, a pushrod pivotally connected to the cylinder-lever of anair-braking mechanism and provided with one or more series ofratchet-teeth and being adapted to slide within said push-rod casing,one or more take-up pawls carried by said push-rod casing and adapted toengage the teeth on said push-rod to actuate the same, a toothedextension carried by said push-bar and adapted to slide in a guidebracket or hanger, a pivoted retaining-pawl adapted to engage saidtoothed extension, and means for releasing said pawl from engagementwith said toothed extension, substantially as set forth.

3. In a braking mechanism, the combination with a braking-cylinder, of apiston carrying a hollow piston-rod, a sleeve or pushrod casing adaptedto slide within said hollow piston, a pin fixed to said hollow pistonrodand adapted to engage a collar on said push-rod casing to actuate thesame, a pushrod pivotally connected to the cylinder-1ever of anair-braking mechanism and provided with one or more series ofratchetteeth and being adapted to slide Within said push-rod casing, oneor more take-up pawls carried by said push-rod casing and adapted toengage the teeth on said push-rod to actuate the same, a toothedextension carried by said push-bar and adapted to slide in a guidebracket or hanger, a pivoted retaining-pawl adapted to engage saidtoothed extension, a releasing-rod pivotally connected to saidretaining-pawl, and an adjustable collar carried by said releasing-rod,an arm fixed on CHARLES J. FISHER.

Witnesses:

H. A. SMITH, DAVID STEVENSON.

